HiFinance 4

 

SECTION 1.3.1 - INVOICES

 

USAGE: To bill customers for sales of goods and services. Invoices can be either entered here or converted from SALES ORDERS previously entered. (See SECTION 1.3.7.)

 

DISCUSSION: When you start the INVOICE program, the computer will initially ask for a Debtor code. Insert the code and press <Enter>.

 

To return to the DEBTOR DATA ENTRY MENU, press <ESC>.

 

To search for a Debtor, press <F9>. For further details on searches, see SECTION 1.2.

 

Having chosen a Debtor, the screen will display the name and address and recent balances, in full at the top of the screen. Also, if you have attached a note to this Debtor, the note will appear superimposed in the middle of the screen. You might also be warned that of a credit limit imposed on the Debtor.

 

The screen will appear as follows:

 


 


Press <Enter> to clear the note and you will then be asked a series of questions. These relate to the ribbon information on the INVOICE and also control such things as tax and discounts. The exact list of fields displayed depends on how you have chosen the options in SYSTEM DEFAULTS. (See SECTION 7.1.2.) Fields that are not displayed take their values from the defaults set on the Debtor’s master-file.

 

Note that if there are any active Sales Orders for this Debtor, you will be asked, PROCESS SALES ORDERS? If you answer Y, you will be presented with a list of active Sales Orders. Choose from this list and the INVOICE will be preloaded with the details.

 

The following is a complete list of possible fields:

 

Name                  Comments

 

DATE       This defaults to the system date (the date at the top of the screen). If you change it, HiFinance will retain the changed date until you exit to the DEBTOR DATA ENTRY MENU. If you have changed the date and wish to return to the system date, press <F1>.

 

THEIR ORDER #    This is a non-compulsory field used when your customer supplies an order. This field is displayed on transactions and is printed on the INVOICE.

 

INVOICE #      By default, HiFinance will add one to the last INVOICE number used and present this to you. If you have set the option, you may then manually enter a number. As this is your reference to the INVOICE, you should avoid using duplicate numbers.

 

DEBTOR’S NAME    If you are invoicing the Debtor SUNDRY, HiFinance will ask you to enter the actual name of the Debtor. The sundry Debtor is treated differently from other Debtors in that it can be singled out for exclusion in certain reports. The modified name will be printed on the INVOICE and displayed in DEBTOR ENQUIRIES but will not be saved to the Debtor master-file record.

 

SALESMAN #   This field defaults to the Salesman as entered on the Debtor master-file. If you have floating salesmen, you can choose to change the Salesman’s code at this point. The change will affect the update of commissions, but will not be written back to the Debtor master-file.

 

TAX EXEMPTION CLAIM Here you choose whether the INVOICE will be taxable or exempt. This is independent of any sale-tax number you may have entered on the Debtor’s master-file record. To make the invoice exempt of tax, enter Y.

 

TAX NUMBER   If you have chosen to make the INVOICE exempt of tax, you must enter a value in this field. You must either enter an exemption number or you may enter the word, EXEMPT. If you enter an exemption number all Inventory lines will be extended without tax and will be added to tax rate 10. If you enter the word EXEMPT, tax rate 11 will be used. (See SECTION 7.2.7.) Hint: To quickly enter the work EXEMPT, press <F1>. If you enter a sales-tax number here, it will be written back to the Debtor’s master-file when the INVOICE is processed.

 

OVERALL DISCOUNT        If you have chosen to allow overall discounts, you will be asked to enter a value here. This can be any number from zero to 99.99%. This discount will not be applied if you manually enter a price for an item or a Special Price is detected.

 

APPLY TO ALL LINES   If you have enabled both line discounts and overall discounts, and you have entered an overall discount, above, you will be asked to resolve the potential clash. If you answer N here, only un-discounted lines will have the overall discount applied. If you answer Y, the two discounts will be applied, geometrically.

 

At each point, you may cancel the invoice by pressing <ESC>. However, it is possible to return to a specific field by using <CsrUp> or <F8>.

 

After answering these fields the screen will repaint and display as follows. Note that at this point there is no way to go back to the above questions, except by cancelling the invoice and starting again.

 


 


Here you may enter the complete details of each INVOICE line. You can also change from entering an Inventory line to a General Ledger line, Job Costing line (if enabled) or a Text line. The fields displayed depends on which type of line you are entering and what options you have set in SYSTEM DEFAULTS. For Inventory lines, the following fields will be asked:

 

CODE       This is the Inventory Code. You may enter a code here or press <F9> to initiate a search. You can change to a different kind of entry by choosing a function key. If you choose to enter a General Ledger line, HiFinance will remember the last code you entered (as long as you do not exit the program). If the last line was not zero, you can repeat the last line by pressing <F1>.

 

DETAILS    Here you have 2 lines to enter the description of the item. By default, HiFinance will insert the description as it appears on the master-file. If you choose to enter a General Ledger line you can only enter one line of description, however, HiFinance will remember the last description you entered (as long as you do not exit the program). If the last line was not blank, you can repeat the last line by pressing <F1>. Also, if you have used this General Ledger account before (and have updated the transaction) you may press <F9> to bring up the history of details you have used before. There are up to 20 unique lines saved. Scroll down to the one you want and press <F10> or <Enter>. The description will be automatically loaded and you can the changed it if you wish. The new details line will be saved back to the history file, when the transaction is updated.

 

UNITS      You may enter any number of units, with up to 3 decimal places. Normally you should not sell more stock than you have and HiFinance will stop you. You can downgrade this error to a warning, or suppress it altogether by choosing the appropriate options in SYSTEM PARAMETERS. Generally, it is not recommended to cross the zero stock level, as this can create problems in calculating cost-of-sales. For further details, contact your dealer. If you need to calculate the number of units, you may use <F9> to launch the calculator. The result of the calculations will be automatically inserted into this field. If you are invoicing the Inventory item SUNDRY, the warning is suppressed.

 

                            Note that normally you cannot enter zero number of units. This test is not made if you are invoicing from a Sales Order. Allowing zero units sold enables you to show that a particular line has been back-ordered, on the Invoice. If you choose to show back-orders, it is also necessary for you to answer N when the question IS THE ORDER COMPLETE, is asked, at the end of the Invoice. If you tag the Order as being complete, HiFinance will remove it from any back-order reports, even though the line has not been completed.

 

COST-OF-SALES This field can be used to manually override the value of Cost-of-Sales. Normally, HiFinance computes the cost value of the item being invoiced. If this field is enabled, the computed value is displayed and it can be over-written. This option can be either suppressed or it can be used to enter a “per-unit” value or a “total value”. The exact behaviour is determined by the options in SYSTEM DEFAULTS, see SECTION 7.1.2. Note that if you are invoicing the Inventory item SUNDRY, the option is forced on.

 

PRICE      HiFinance will insert the price from the Inventory master-file, based on the Debtor’s price code. If you need to calculate the price, you may use <F9> to launch the calculator. The result of the calculations will be automatically inserted into this field. If you wish to see all the available prices, press <F1> and then choose a number or function key to insert the price. Alternatively, you may override the price manually. If there is a note on file for this Debtor <F4> will be available to allow you to display this information. Similarly, <F6> will display any Billing Address and <F7> will display any Delivery Instructions.

 

DISCOUNT   If you have chosen to enable line discounts, you will be able to enter the value here, as a percentage. If the Debtor has a default discount rate attached, HiFinance will automatically enter it here. Note that the discount will not be entered automatically unless the field is initially zero and you have changed the unit price or if a special price has been detected. If you then wish to enter, or override, the line discount, you will have to do it manually.

 

TAX RATE   Normally, HiFinance will pick-up the tax-rate from the Inventory master-file record. If you sell at varying rates, you can override the rate here. If the customer is claiming a tax exemption, you may not change the rate.

 

TAX BASIS  Normally, HiFinance will pick-up the tax-basis from the Inventory master-file record. If you sell at varying rates, you can override the basis here. If the customer is claiming a tax exemption, you may not change this field.

 

TOTAL      HiFinance will automatically compute the line total. If the price was zero, you will be able to enter a sale price here. This is the total line value. If you choose to enter a value here, the discount will be set to zero and HiFinance will automatically compute the unit price.

 

At each point you may press <ESC> to abort the line or the whole transaction.

 

If you have entered at least one line, you may press <F5> (at the CODE field) to enter the REVIEW function. This function allows you to view your entries, and if necessary change or delete a line. To move between lines use <CsrUp>, <CsrDn>, <PageUp>, <PageDn>, <Home> and <End>. If there is a particularly large number of lines, you can also use <F9> to go to a specific line number. To modify a line, make sure it is displayed in full in the bottom window and press <F3>. You can then re-enter any of the details. To leave the REVIEW function, press <ESC> or <F10>, once.

 

To end your lines, press <F10>. You will be asked to confirm that you have finished entering lines and then you will be asked certain trailer information. Most of these fields may be turned off. A Complete list follows:

 

COMMISSION RATE           This field defaults to the nominal commission rate as it appears on the Salesman file. You may override the value for this invoice.

 

CARRIER           You may enter a carrier’s name here. It will appear on the invoice in the appropriate box. If you have set-up a list of Carriers, you can use <F9> to look-up the Carrier and load it from that table. (See SECTION 7.2.1.4.)

 

FREIGHT CHARGEABLE   If you wish to charge freight, enter the value here. It will automatically be posted to the Freight Chargeable account in the General Ledger and will be separately totalled on Invoice reports.

 

CHANGE DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS  HiFinance will pick-up the delivery address saved on the Debtor’s master-file. If you wish to change it for this invoice, answer Y.

 

CHANGE DELIVERY ADDRESS HiFinance will pick-up the delivery instructions saved on the Debtor’s master-file. If you wish to change them for this invoice, answer Y.

 

At the end of the INVOICE, you will be presented with a summary and you will be asked to confirm the update. This is the point of no return. Once you answer Y, HiFinance will update all the relevant files. Up to this point you can cancel or modify the details. After you have updated the INVOICE, you can only remove it by entering a CREDIT NOTE.

 

After the invoice has updated, you can choose to print the document and/or enter a RECEIPT. Afterwards, you will be returned to the Debtor code entry screen where you may either enter another INVOICE or press <ESC> to return to the DEBTOR DATA ENTRY MENU.

 

Files updated by the Invoice program:

 

Debtor master-file:    The total of the sales and cost-of-sales is posted to the Debtor’s record. In the case of a Debtor/sub-account relationship, the outstanding balance is posted to the parent account only. However the sales are posted to the actual Debtor, which might be the parent or sub-account.

 

Debtor Group file:     The totals posted to the Debtor are mimicked in the Debtor Group file. This allows you to quickly view the sales for a group without having to generate a report.

 

Salesman file:    The totals posted to the Debtor are mimicked in the Salesman file (before tax). This allows you to quickly view the sales for a Salesman without having to generate a report.

 

Debtor transaction file:         Each Invoice generates a transaction. This can be viewed in DEBTOR ENQUIRIES and is used to create reports, such as DEBTOR STATEMENTS.

 

Orders file:         If you have created this Invoice from an Order, the order is updated with the current sales (units). If you have instructed HiFinance that the Order is complete, it will be tagged as such and can be purged by the pack program.

 

Invoice image file:     Every Invoice creates an print image on disk. This is then used to print the Invoice. You can either print the image at the time you create the Invoice or you can use the DEBTOR ENQUIRIES program to print (or re-print) an Invoice.

 

Invoice print-file: If you have chosen not to print invoices during the update phase and you have chosen to batch invoices (see SECTION 6.1.2) an entry in the Invoice Batch Print file is made for each invoice. You can the print the Invoice using the PRINT INVOICES function (see SECTION 1.3.8.1).

 

Inventory master-file: Each Inventory line updates the relevant Inventory record. The sales and cost-of-sales is posted to this record and may be viewed in INVENTORY ENQUIRIES.

 

Inventory Group file:  The totals posted to the Inventory item are mimicked in the Inventory Group file. This allows you to quickly view the sales for a group without having to generate a report.

 

Inventory Location file:          The totals posted to the Inventory are mimicked in the Inventory Location file. This allows you to quickly view the sales for a Location without having to generate a report.

 

Inventory transaction file:      Each Inventory line generates a transaction. This can be viewed in INVENTORY ENQUIRIES and is used to create reports.

 

Jobs master-file:       If you are using the Job Costing option, you can invoice Jobs. If you do, the Job master-file will be updated with the value of WIP you have entered. If the WIP total becomes zero, you also have the option to tag the Job as complete.

 

Jobs transaction file: Each Invoice line that is attached to a Job generates a transaction in the Jobs transaction-file. This can be viewed in JOBS ENQUIRIES and is used to create reports, such as JOB TRANSACTIONS.

 

General Ledger master-file: This is updated in two ways. A) if you post a line directly to General Ledger, the value will be posted to the relevant account. B) in addition to this several accounts are automatically posted to, eg Sales, Cost-of-sales (as defined in the Inventory Group), GST, Discount, Trade Debtors and Stock-on-Hand. Jobs post to Work-in-Progress (WIP) rather than Stock-on-Hand These accounts must be defined in the GENERAL LEDGER CONTROL ACCOUNTS.

 

General Ledger transaction-file:      A transaction is posted for each General Ledger transaction line and for the totals described above.

 

Extension for United Shipping:

 

The following only refers to United Shipping and the special modification for this site.

 

Each product for sale must be setup as a Bill-of-Materials item. The individual components are never sold separately, but some are purchased. Other non-BOM items are invoiced normally, but there will not be many of these.

 

Each BOM must contain exactly 3 items. These must contain:

 

a)                 An item of excise. This contains the excise unit value and must be attached to a group called EXCISE.

b)                 An item of terminal charges. This contains the terminal charge for the specific fuel and must be attached to a group called TERMINAL.

c)                  Another item, not in the above groups.

 

For instance, ULPT might be made up of ULP, EXCISE10 and TERMINAL1. Only ULPT would be sold, and only ULP would be purchased. These example stock codes will be used in the description, below.

 

When a BOM item is invoiced, the program checks that the 3 way setup, above, is strictly adhered to, and then will allow you to invoice the Assembly (the product actually being sold). In the above example, ULPT. It is important that the option to update BOM through Debtors be enabled.

 

Update will proceed as follows:

 

The COS for ULPT will always be the same as the sell price. This will update the stock files for ULPT.

A unit of ULP, EXCISE10 and TERMINAL1 will be sold for each unit of ULPT. The units in the BOM record are ignored.

COS in the General Ledger will show the full for wherever ULP is pointing and the partial values for wherever EXCISE10 and TERMINAL1 are pointing. (Note that the Sales pointer in the EXCISE and TERMINAL Inventory groups, are egnored.)

SALES goes to the Sales pointer in the ULPT’s Inventory group, as per normal, and all other values update the General Ledger in the normal way (eg Trade Debtors, etc.).

 

The purpose of this modification is to allow one line to appear on the invoice, but the components to be split in the General Ledger. It also means that stock can be sold before it is purchased. Any discrepancy in ULP’s sales value (in Inventory) will have to be taken up in a stock losses account. Similarly, dips of the storage of ULP are adjusted to a stock losses account in the General Ledger.

Return to Table of Contents  Return to Table of Contents